Bleach: Dark Intentions Arc: Into Motion
Status Report Sitting at the tree's base, on top of a small and seemingly broken fence, was a boy who looked to be in his teens. His skin was very pale, his eyes a light blue, and he had long silver hair tied in a ponytail. "Ahatake-san." Dyan said, bowing only slightly. "We've returned." Ahatake's eyes were already on them. He'd felt their spiritual pressure when they crossed into his barrier. "Dyan...and Senkai." He said quietly, his cold blue eyes moving over them. "It's good to see that you've returned in one piece." His rather malevolent stare caused Senkai to direct her eyes downward, avoiding his gaze directly. She never liked it when someone stared at her in such a manner, but this man's eyes always made it seem like they were boring right through her. She fidgeted a little, and for a moment she feared that she had anything to be guilty of. For this reason, she opted to stay silent until Ahatake spoke to her again. Ahatake's expression actually softened slightly, surprised. "Senkai, look up. It is your report I wish to hear the most." Unlike his eyes, his voice wasn't cold at all. It was filled with a strange warmth, but that warmth never, in all the centuries he'd been alive, reached his eyes. "How did your battle go with my other self? You've returned as unharmed as I could have wished. Were you succesful?" "...." His encouraging words brought Senkai's hesitant eyes back towards him again. "Yes, sir..." She answered quietly. "Everything went as planned. The target didn't suspect a thing." At the very least, he hadn't seemed to suspect anything. Hopefully, that would be one of the differences between the Sonoma and Kan'na counterpart in the long run. "I see. And his abilities?" "He wasn't a Shinigami. Rather, he possessed abilities that were a result of Fullbringing. I didn't allow myself to stay in order to see all of what he could do, but he had some form of element manipulation that he utilized against me, particularly in the case of fire and electricity. He had considerably strong spiritual pressure, and is definitely a far cry to the Shinigami Captains of this dimension, sir." "Fullbring..." He murmured. "The ability unique to humans. To be able to manipulate souls..." A smile crossed his face. "If that is his power, that makes want we are doing all the more worthwhile. You've done great work Senkai." This time, Senkai gave a bow of her own. "Thank you, Ahatake." She replied gratefully, feeling slight pride within hearing his words. Ahatake gave her a fleeting smile, and turned to Dyan. "What about your report?" Dyan reached into her shirt and threw something that glistened towards Ahatake, who caught it, his eyes wide but his expression blank. "Ah. So you did it." He said, looking at her, his hand glowing now. "Excellent work." "Thank you sir." Dyan said, smiling. "Although...he did find me." "Oh?" "Yeah." She scratched the back of her head. "I introduced myself as Run, winded him, and fled." "Alright." Ahatake said, pocketing what Dyan threw him. "Senkai, Dyan, you all are free to rest now. The next part of the plan won't be put into motion for another month. What I intend to do now will take a bit of time." "Alright." Dyan said, and she began to walk off. The inside of the building was so large, she didn't have to leave to go somewhere. With another bow, Senkai decided to follow Dyan. She really had nothing else to do, and she needed someone to talk to for the time being. The place itself was large enough to be a satisfying place to explore, and her curiosity urged her to see everything that she would be able to see. Ahatake turned his head to a shadowed corner, a slight smile on his face. "You were listening in, Megami?" She stepped out of the shadows. She had a rather apathetic gaze towards him as she approached him, arms folded across her chest. Despite the smile directed towards him, she didn't return the sentiment. "I didn't really have a taste for what I was listening to..." She answered dryly. "Especially after the mistakes that they made." Ahatake sighed. "You're colder than I am, you know that?" He asked, catching one of the orbs of light and handing it to her. "I don't think they made any mistakes. They did as I'd asked, so I'm not going to complain. You seem to find fault with many things however." He sighed again, deeper this time. "If it was up to you, you'd let all the humans in the world die out, would you not?" Raising an eyebrow, she stopped in her tracks. Her hands unfolded themselves, reaching out to take the orb that she was given. "Humans are nothing but a virus, a plague upon the earth that they live on." She answered, looking at it for a moment. "If it were up to me... you'd be right. But as it is, I could care less how they drive themselves into suicide." Ahatake sighed. "We're not that different, Humans and Shinigami. You know that. And, in case you've forgotten, both of these worlds, Soul Society and World of the Living require balance. There are barely any humans left, so many have become Hollows and the Soul Society refuses to lift a finger to do anything. Only a select few Shinigami like myself, Dyan, and Grimmjow even bother. Without us, the balance would be tipped entirely and everything would be destroyed." He took a breath, focusing on her intently. "I'm sure even you wouldn't want that." She didn't look at him for a moment, studying the orb in her hands a bit more. Then, she directed her gaze towards him. The faintest of smiles traced her lips, yet it might as well have been impossible to see. "That's why I'm not stopping you from doing what you're doing." She answered readily. "To me, heroics are just too pointless and wasteful, especially in an environment where the Hollow dominate the dimension. But that doesn't mean I'm going to start interfering with your ideas any time soon." She extended her hands outward, showing him the orb. "What exactly is this?" "A light created with Kidō." Ahatake said, gesturing to several all around. "With no electric companies around anymore, we need light, and that was the only solution I had. This entire place crafted with Kidō." He seemed to be proud of his creation. "It's the only reason none of us are fighting off Hollows every minute of the day. There's a barrier around this place, as I'm sure you know. Nothing can find us here." Letting go of the orb, Megami allowed it to float back into its original spot. She walked over calmly, moving herself to sit beside the man. "Nothing except the ones that have our knowledge...." She finished, leaning her head on the shoulder opposite of the direction in which she was facing Ahatake. "And speaking of which.... those two, the Shinigami and Hollow.... after this is over and done with, what makes you so sure they won't simply stab us in the back? Most Hollow have a tendency to value their own independance, after all...." "I don't know if they will or won't." Ahatake replied, shrugging. "Dyan, the Shinigami girl, seems to want to protect this world as much as I do. She's trustworthy. Senkai, the Hollow girl. I don't think she'd attack me. She seems to be slightly scared of me actually." "Looks are and can always be deceiving..." Megami said, a slight warning in her voice. "Keep that in mind when dealing with the things that you aren't sure about. After all, it'd be terrible if you died because of such a foolish mistake...." To emphasize this, she leaned over to give Ahatake a kiss on the cheek. Ahatake chuckled. "I can assure you, I won't die." He placed a hand on his Zanpakutō. "This will ensure that." "It better..." In a different room in the building, Dyan was trying to float in the water-like substance they were in, since she figured if fish could do it, she could too. "....you know, you're just making yourself look stupid trying it." It was the teasing voice of Senkai, who was leaning against the nearest wall with her arms folded across her chest. She had a toothy grin on her face as she watched Dyan attempt to swim with the fish-like creatures around them. It was only a friendly jest, of course, no hostility meant by her words. Still, it just looked so silly! Dyan chuckled as she ceased her lame attempt to float. "So, have you idea why Ahatake needed what I gave him? The crystalized reishi. Did he tell you anything?" Senkai shook her head, ignoring that her hair was floating in her face a little. "Not even a clue." She answered. "But whatever it is, I'm sure he has good intentions about using it." "Yeah." Dyan said, inspecting one of the orbs of light curiously. She tossed it up. "So, I guess we have a month to kill before the operation begins. If it wasn't for the benfits the success of the operation would have, I don't think I'd really want to go through with it. What about you?" "To be honest...." A wistful expression came across Senkai's countenance. "Even knowing what we have to gain, I.... I just don't think I'd be able to go through with it. I know we're focusing this on good intentions, but the cost is just too....unethical. Don't you think so?" "You really are different from other Hollows Senkai." Dyan said, frowning. "He will die for our cause, there's nothing wrong with that." "And that makes it right?" Senkai couldn't help the sharp tone that escaped her mouth. However, she recognized how she had spoken immediately, calming her tone down. "Good cause or not, we're depriving someone of their life for our own selfish benefit. It's just not worth the sacrifice...." Dyan sighed. "Stop being so concerned. It's all for the greater good. Just keep yourself focused on that. Remember, this will help so many more people than it will harm." "That's easy for you to say...." Senkai half-lidded her eyes and turned her head away from Dyan for a moment. "But it's not like I can discard the way I was brought up away like trash. It's just not in my nature to treat a life as if it was expendable." "Again, so different." Dyan said, frowning. "But then again, that's just another reason to like you." Senkai smiled weakly. "Not everyone can go along with the stereotypes, eh?" Dyan grinned. ---- Ahatake appeared in the middle of the living room, looking slightly tired as he sunk into the chair. Evening was about to hit, and it was about an hour to five. Poor Daiyaku was going to have to endure a discussion in an hour. But until then, talking with Megami was something he needed to do. He didn't bother to call for her, since he was sure she could feel his spiritual pressure as soon as he'd entered. "Ah!" Megami was watching TV when he had suddenly appeared in the room, alerted by his tired appearance. "Dear God, you look like you ran a marathon over the world!" She exclaimed, standing up and walking towards him. "Are you all right? Should I get you anything?" "No, don't worry about it. But you're almost accurate about the 'round the world marathon." Ahatake said, chuckling tiredly. "I've been around the entire Yūrei Ōkoku and have not yet to find a clue." He sighed. "I was attacked again though." "Oh, for the love of--" Megami immediately started checking for any wounds that could've been possibly dealt to him. "This is what happens when you decide to go out on your own and have a practical bounty on your head!" She scolded. "It wasn't that bad." Ahatake replied. "She wasn't trying to kill me. And the fight was enjoyable." Ahatake thought for a moment. "She said she needed to gauge my abilities. So, I fought, and I can assume she gathered what she needed, as she fled." "....you just.... let her go?" Megami stared at him incredulously, jaw agape slightly for a second. "Ahatake, this was the very person possibly involved in hunting you! How could you just let them off the hook like that? I mean, didn't you at least try to stop from leaving?" "I didn't bother." Ahatake said, shrugging. "She was headed towards another strong spiritual pressure, and I didn't want to fight a two-on-one battle at the time." "B-but...." Megami was now finding it hard to speak. What was her husband thinking at times? Did he wish to die? "You could've headed her off before she got there, took her down before her partner could've ever known what hit--" However, she immediately stopped herself, letting out a sigh. "Oh, listen to me pointing fingers when I shouldn't be and worrying about the "what ifs...." She placed her hands on her hips and fixed a rather furrowing stare at Ahatake. "Sometimes, I really...REALLY think you have some sort of death wish!" Ahatake smile up at her wearily. "Megami, I assure you, I won't die. My Riyūhōchō will ensure that." "It better." Megami gave him a slightly stern glare before moving over to kiss him on the cheek. "I'm relatively sure that something will be happening soon." Ahatake said, and though his face redenned slightly, his expression was still serious. "I'll just have to make sure I can handle it." He sighed. "I may need to have another talk with Kisuke." Megami moved away from him, sitting down in a chair nearest to him. "There's probably going to be another method other than confronting us head-on..." She reminded him. "We also need to think of a plan." "Is it possible to make a plan when we don't know what we're dealing with?" Ahatake asked. "The girl, she told me where she's from, but it's not something I know of. Kan'na dimension she said." "Then that...." Megami directed her index finger in his direction to express a "on-the-point" motion. "....is where we have to start. After I'm done discussing things with Daiyaku and Miharu, I'm going to the local library and see if they have anything in the archives. Hopefully, it's a subject that's been touched upon at least once." Ahatake repressed an urge to chuckle. "Those poor kids." He said, placing a hand to his forehead and looking at his watch. "And look at that, it's nearly time. Should I hang around or get the hell out of the room?" "Unless you have anything to add...." Megami folded her arms across her chest and nodded slowly. "....you're free to leave." "Excellent." Ahatake said, vanishing into a burst of flames without even getting up from the couch. There was no scorch mark left. As if on cue, Daiyaku and Miharu entered the room, hand-in-hand with each other. They took a seat on one of the couches. "Well, here we are." Miharu said cheerfully. "We've come as requested Megami-san." Daiyaku said politely. Megami crossed her legs, folding her hands within her lap. "Glad to see you're on time. Now...." Her eyes kept a level gaze to the both of them. "I want to talk to you about the events that happened concerning you two.... particularly about the fact that you both ignored my warning." Miharu's eyes shifted away from her mother's face. Daiyaku's eyes hardened, but did not move. They remained silent, waiting for the axe to fall. "Daiyaku...." Megami shifted her eyes to Daiyaku. "I've always known you as a polite and honest young man. I never would've thought that you, of all people, would just fall to temptation and allow this to happen. Tell me...." She leaned forward a little. "Why did you?" Daiyaku frowned for a moment. He seemed to be chewing his words over carefully. "Would the excuse, 'I'm only human' work here?" It wasn't sarcastic, it was an honest question. "No. That doesn't tell me exactly what you were thinking at that very moment." Daiyaku let out a long-drawn out sigh as Miharu placed her hand to her face and murmured something unintellgible. "I'm really not sure." Daiyaku shrugged. "Maybe I wasn't thinking at the time. Megami-san, if you are upset about this, I truly do apologize. But I don't really have any explanations as answers to your questions." He chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his head, remining both Miharu and Megami of the innocent bespectacled boy that had fallen out of the tree so long ago. Megami fell silent for a moment, hand raising to her own face. Her fingers pushed through her hair, palm resting on her forehead. "Apparently, no one has an explanation for anything anymore...." She thought cynically. "I'm a forgiving person. Though it'll be hard, I can put this slip-up aside and accept your apology. But it's also telling me something...." She took her hand off her head, placing it back on her lap. "Let me ask you both a simple question. Are you ready to leave this house?" That threw both of the children off guard, and Miharu spoke for the first time since the question, stuttering her single word answer. "N-n-no!" Daiyaku looked at Megmi curiously. "Why would you ask that Megami-san?" Megami closed her eyes, leaning back against her chair. "It's actions like this that mark signs of how close you are towards one another. It's obvious to me that what you have between yourself is going to grow. You can tell me whatever you want to now.... but in the future, should you choose to act as you are, there's going to be the issue of your own kids to raise. That's going to be your responsibility, because your father and I just aren't in the condition to be looking after all of you. You're going to have to start getting ready to move out of the home once that happens." "Y-yes." Miharu replied, nodding feverently. "I understand." Daiyaku replied, also nodding though only once. Megami nodded, opening her eyes back up. "I'm glad we know what we're dealing with." She answered softly. "What will you do, though?" "Lay off each other?" Miharu spoke up again. "All right, glad to see you've regarded abstinence...." A cheery smile came across Megami's face for a moment, before it regained its seriousness. "But I'm going to hold you to it this time not to lie to me again, am I clear?" "Yes." Miharu replied, sounding weary now, and Daiyaku nodded. Megami raised one of her hands in a shooing motion. "Now go on, shoo! I have to be going somewhere!" She chided, allowing herself to stand up. Miharu stood up, still holding hands with Daiyaku, who made a movement as if to drag them upstairs. "No, I want to try something." She murmured, and closed her eyes. In that instance, Daiyaku and Miharu were enveloped in a veil of water, and they sunk into the ground, vanishing. Once they were gone, Megami immediately folded her arms across her chest and walked out of the living room towards the exit. She would have to spend a good amount of time there if she wanted to learn anything. Skimming through the pages was a risky maneuver, especially in a situation as dire as Ahatake's. She needed every bit of intel that she could use in order to preserve his life. Such were the duties of a loyal wife, after all. ---- It didn't take her long to reach the desired area. She pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Instantly, she was hit with a cool air that seemed to fill the entire building. She looked around for a moment. The archive section was located in the back, massive shelves dominating that particular part of the room. She looked hesitant for a moment, stepping forward to direct herself towards it. Hopefully, there was some categorization and easy signs directing her to the information she needed to know. "Are you l-looking for something?" A small voice, like bellchimes rang out behind her. The voice's owner was a young, bespectacled girl with short purple hair. She was wearing a badge that read: "Library Aide" She looked nervous. "Maybe I can help?" "Huh?" Megami turned towards the source of the voice, giving a polite smile. "Why, yes I am..." She answered, walking up to the aide, hands folded behind her back. "I happen to be looking for a book or two that has information concerning the Kan'na dimension. Would you happen to have any?" "Ka'na..?" The girl murmured, her face reddening as Megami looked at her. "Um...that would be in the back of the library. Can you follow me please?" Though curious as to why the young girl was blushing, Megami only gave a slight nod. "Of course, lead the way, miss." She answered. The girl walked briskly, keeping ahead of Megami, leading her past quite a few shelves with different arrays of books, some with the most curious subjects. Arson, Murder and Jaywalking, A dozen ways to roast Hollow, could be found among the titles, and would have made anyone's head turn. The farther they walked into the library, the darker it seemed to get and the less people seemed to be around. She turned a corner, leading Megami into an isle and she walked to the very edge of it. She began to float, moving up to the top of the shelf, and placed her hand on a dusty volume with a faded golden title. "Ka'na: A **str*y*d *i**o*" She floated down, and handed the book to Megami, still red-faced and averting her gaze. "T-this is the only book on Kan'na we have. I'm sorry it's not much." "It's fine." Megami re-assured her, giving a slight bow. "Thank you for your time." The girl bowed back. "If you need anything else, I'll be back." The girl said before hurrying away. Megami watched her go for a moment, smiling all the while. The folks such as her served as such kind souls, acting as they did. It always warmed her heart to meet one. Idly, she wondered if she happened to meet her again; they'd probably be good friends! However, she knew that wasn't the subject of the most importance right now. Right now, she had to focus on getting the information she needed. She raised the book cover to her face. "That's funny.... some of the letters are blotted out, and I can't make out what the words are...." She muttered softly. "Must really be an old book, wonder why no one ever touched it." She reached out with her free hand, dusting off the cover and blowing on it for a minute. Then, she walked around the shelf to the nearest desk, and sat down to open the book to its first page. "There are two known universes. Kan'na and Sonoma. The d Sonoma, making Kanna its parallel twin universe. These two coexist in a way that they naturally will never interact with one another, being seperated by the Sea of Reason; as the name entails, it is a massive sea that is comprised of reason, seperating the two worlds of spiritual energy. The location of the sea is rumored to be at the far ends of the Dangai Precipice World; near a region that is populated by tons of Yūreiyushi, making it a near-impossible task to even get near, let alone enter and pass through." Next page "In the universe of Kan'na, there is a high probability that you possess a counterpart, someone that is technically the "you" of Kan'na. Sonoma and Kanna flow with the same timeline, meaning that neither is ahead chonologically. The differences are ''"random", as they don't always end with extreme opposites. One who was a Shinigami in Sonoma, might have an Arrancar counterpart in Kanna. They may hold the same race and powers, but different gender. The differences between the two are random, and never hold the same regard for any two people. The two counterparts are linked in a strange way. If one counterpart is to kill the other -"'' But those words seem to have been torn from the book. However, the book continued to proceed to more information. "Ugh...." So vital information just happened to be torn out from the book itself. Maybe someone had gotten their hands on it, after all.... hopefully, there was a chance to look up the original source of the book. Sighing, Megami decided to take the information in from what she could and proceed to the next pages. "The major difference between the two Universes is the presence of "a higher power or faith." Sonoma believes in a higher power, and thus, Shinigami carry Death God in their names. Kanna does not have faith in such, considering Shinigami to be nothing but soldiers. The latter is depicted as a war-torn land, in both the Human and Shinigami worlds. Humans have, for the most part, gone extinct, save for a few hundred. People depend on those they trust, but have a tendency to look out for only themselves. Morals and Standards do not exist in Kanna, same for rules." "However, despite the differences, both Sonoma and Kanna's Shinigami are at war with the Hollow. Kanna's case is considered even more dangerous, as Vasto Lorde have gained greater power and numbers, overwhelming the ranks of the Shinigami by vast amounts." "Unfortunately, inhabitants of Sonoma, even researchers like ourselves, know very little about Kan'na aside from this, and therefore detailed description, such as a method to reach the dimension can not be given." The book, only a few pages long, ended there. "....so these few individuals know how to pass through the dimensions using that portal." Megami pondered, standing up and shifting back to the section with the torn-out page. "If they're skilled and strong enough to be one of the few to transport themselves between Sonoma and Kan'na...." Her mind flashed back to what Ahatake said fighting that opponent. "....then....how strong are these guys?" She paced a little. "Furthermore, it seems like the Kan'na dimension serves as nothing more than an expanded Hueco Mundo. While the Shinigami are dominate here, the Hollow are dominate there. A coincidental balance, it is...." Nodding to herself, she walked back down the isle and out, back in the section where the shy girl had been. "H-hey!" She managed to say, walking over to her again. "I hate to bother you again, miss, but are you too busy for a question I have?" The girl turned to look at Megami, and her faced instantly flushed again. "N-no." She stammered. "What is it you need?" Careful not to frighten the girl, the red-haired woman moved close enough to show the damage clear to her. "Do you happen to know the words that would finish this sentence?" She asked, using her finger to trace where the sentence had broken off. "The words that were originally here are missing." The girl looked at the book, her eyes never meeting Megami's face. "Yes. I've read all the books here, so I can tell you anything." She cleared her throat. "The two counterparts are linked in a strange way." She read in her bell chime voice. "If one counterpart is to kill the other, the victorious counterpart is able to absorb the defeated counterpart's spiritual pressure, techniques and experience." It was a good thing she didn't look up - because at that very moment, Megami's eyes flashed with horror of the realization. "So this isn't just some sort of bounty hunt..." She thought to herself. "That white-haired person Ahatake had described earlier.... ''he must've been the counter-part. And that girl.... she must've been sent to be some sort of checker to make sure Ahatake's power was enough. Damn it, this just makes everything ten times worse!!!"'' She gave a somewhat weak smile towards the girl. "All right. Thank you again for your time." She turned around and started to walk back, but stopped after a few steps. "Say...." She muttered, looking around. "If you don't mind me asking, are you the only one that works here?" "Y-yes." She replied nervously. "I own the library, though it used to be me and my mother. She retired so now I'm left in charge..." "Ah..." She turned her head for a moment. "Well, you seem like a pretty nice person to talk to." She commented, her smile growing a bit brighter. "Maybe in your spare time...." Now it was her turn to be a bit shy, her eyes averting themselves and the slightest of flushes across her cheeks. Unconsciously, she folded her hands behind her back. "We could... y'know.... have a little get-together, a "talk-over-tea" sort of thing?" The girl's face lit up and her eyes practically sparkled, meeting Megami's face for the first time. "I-I'd love that!" She squealed excitedly, before remembering she was in a library. "I'm always here, I sleep at the top of the library, so you can find me anytime. I'm A-Aoi." She finished, stuttering over her name. She made the library her home, too? She would make note of that later. As of now, she gave a nod towards the girl in general. "Megami Kurosaki." She said back, before turning back around and walking into the aisle again. "It was nice meeting you, and I hope to see you again later on...." The girl nodded enthusiastically and then ran off, heading towards one of the shelves. She tripped on her way, and stumbled up red-faced, continuing to where she was headed. ---- It was not long after Megami left the library and entering her home again. Closing the door behind her, she lentt out her voice to the room. "Honey, are you here?" She called out, hoping for a response. "Yo!" A voice came from the cieling. Megami turned her head in surprise to see Ahatake standing on the cieling upsidedown, his feet sticking to the cieling as if glued. "Find anything interesting?" "As a matter of fact...." A smile formed on the red-haired woman's face. "I have. The librarian said it wasn't much, but it was plentiful by my account." She walked over to the couch, sitting down and keeping her gaze onto her husband. "First off, it seems like all three of these beings come from the so called Kan'na dimension. It's some sort of mirror to the one we reside in, a sort of "parallel universe" to us." Ahatake jumped down from the cieling, landing neatly on his feet. "Well, that proves Senkai wasn't lying when she said where she was from..." Ahatake murmured. "Anything else?" Megami closed her eyes for a moment, putting one index finger to her temple and her other finger pointing at Ahatake in an explaining manner, as if she was attempting to conjure up the necessary information within her head. "Both dimensions are separated by a massive sea of something called Reason. That lake is rumored to be at the far ends of the Dangai Precipice World, near a region that is populated by tons of Yūreiyushi. This makes it next to impossible to even get near, let alone enter and pass through to the other side. That's the first thing that troubles me...." She looked down for a moment, lowering her hands and putting on a more solemn expression. "These three have the strength and skill in order to pass from the Kan'na to the other. To be one of the few able to open these gates means that their power could be beyond what we've faced before...." Ahatake couldn't surpress a smile. "Megami, you should know by the now the threat of strong opponents doesn't frighten me so much as it excites me. And it isn't entirely impossible for us to go to Kan'na as well. Wherever that portal thing has been opened, so long as I can sense it, I can duplicate it." "Not like you would like to go there...." Megami frowned. "Even you would most likely get torn apart by the Vasto Lorde that dominate the region. That's another thing.... whereas this dimension is ruled by Shinigami, the Kan'na dimension possesses no rule and is completely overtaken by the Hollows. Humans are an endangered race, and the Shinigami can do little to stop the resulting chaos." Ahatake frowned. "It sounds like Hueco Mundo annexed the World of the Living." "My thoughts, exactly..." Megami folded her hands within her lap. "But even that information isn't what is disturbing. I don't know what that white-haired man's motives are in this, but I am sure of one thing...." She directed her gaze towards him, the worry clear. "That man was your counterpart." Ahatake's eyes widened, surprise washing over him like an ice cold waterfall. "M-my counterpart?" He stuttered, trying to remember back. The man looked like his complete opposite. And even his spiritual pressure. His Spiritual pressure! If Ahatake thought hard enough to remember, the would-be assailants spiritual pressure had been similar to his. "Alright, even if he is my counterpart, what would my counterpart want with me? Why would he attack me?" "....in accordance to the "laws" of the two dimension, if he kills you, he has the option of "absorbing" you. All of your knowledge, your power.... all of it is going to be a part of him if he succeeds in taking your life." "Whoever the hell made up a law like that needs seriously mental help." Ahatake murmured. "So, I guess it's kill or be killed in this case." He sighed. "Never thought I'd have to wind up fighting myself...or something close enough to it anyway." "We won't end up fighting just yourself." Megami warned him. "Those other two you encountered.... it's not like they're going to take it easy on you forever. Not to mention, we have no idea how these people operate. You like to fight head-on? He might use more devious methods in order to put you in his trap." Ahatake frowned. "So then, what's your plan? I'm not good with things that don't involve running in swinging a blade Megami." "...sadly, I need more information before we can do anything else." Ahatake thought for a moment. "Well, the only one we know with any information for sure is that little library girl you mentioned. Does she know anything else she can give you?" "Well...." Megami frowned, thinking for a moment. "I didn't really talk to her about it. Maybe the next time I see her, I can do so." "Do you think I should check with Kisuke now?" Ahatake asked, looking at her. "Since we can do this my way, we'll have to do this the "smart way", and Kisuke is the smartest person this family knows." Megami nodded appreciatively. "That would be nice." "Alright. We both have sources we can check with then." Ahatake said, and he kissed her forehead, vanishing in a burst of flames at the same time. Like with the chair, there was no scorch mark. Akiko entered at the exact same time Ahatake vanished. "So..." She began slowly. "Someone wants to kill my brother?" ....and Akiko happened to arrive. "...unfortunately, yes." Megami let out a sigh, placing a hand to her face. "As if people don't get enough out of hunting down my husband...." Akiko chuckled. "You should have been around when he was married to Tereya." She thought about. "Wait, maybe you shouldn't have. That would have been wierd...yet fun." She took a breath. "So, what do we do about it?" "That's what I have yet to figure out...." "Well, since Onī-san went to go check with Kisuke, shouldn't you speak with that library aide you mentioned?" Akiko asked, showing she had been listening in. "Maybe she knows something that can help?" "Oh! Right...." Immediately, Megami stood back up. "I'll be off, then..." She said, folding her arms across her chest and starting to walk away. "See ya later, Akiko!" Akiko waved, before walking off back upstairs to sleep. She'd let them handle this. ---- As Megami got closer to the library, it was beginning to grow dark. The library's lights were on, but it was nearing closing time. The library aide, Aoi, was standing outside, struggling with a large stack of books she had just picked up, having emptied the book chute that was on the outside of the library. Of course, Megami wasn't one to overlook such a plight. When she got close enough to the other woman, she put on her usual smile. "You look like you could use some assistance." She noted calmly. This proved to be a bad move. Aoi, upon hearing the woman's voice, immediately stumbled and the books spilled out of her hand. She bent down, her face red, scrambling to pick them up, muttering frantically with words like "sorry" and "embarrasing" heard. However, Megami wasn't discouraged. She walked over, calmly picking the books up and carrying a good section of them in her own arms. "What were you doing with all of these books, anyway?" She questioned curiously. "T-thanks..." The girl stammered, avoiding Megami's eyes like always. "Um...people who don't have time to come into the library to returned checked-out books place them in the book drop. By some strange method of design, it moves in a circle, when a book is dropped it moved into the shoot and back towards a different exit. So, I have to come out and collected whatever books have been dropped off..." She kicked open the library door, her hands also full of books, and lead Megami to a table where she could put them. The library was nearly empty. Gently, Megami set the books down onto the table, one of her hands placing themselves onto the top. "Listen...." She spoke, unsure of her voice at first. "I really hate to bother you again, but do you happen to know anything more about the Kan'na dimension?" It was possible that Aoi didn't know anything at all, limited to what the library gave her as well. But, who could honestly blame her for trying? "Please d-don't be." The girl replied, her eyes on the books. "I like speaking with you." She started to stack the books before talking again. "And, I do have the information you're looking for." She said, smiling at Megami. "Not many people know about Kan'na, not in this dimension, But I've read more books than even this library has, so I can help you." A relieved smile broke across Megami's face before she realized it. "Thank you, dear." She said gratefully, bowing her head slightly. Aoi walked off. "Megami-san, please follow me." She said, leading Megami up a set of stairs that were hidden behind a wall. "My house is through here." She said as they walked through a hallway lit by several lights. It wasn't long before they came to wide room. It looked comfortable, several seats and bookshelves. Avoiding Megami's eyes as always, Aoi stumbled to a seat. "Megami-san, what do you need to know?" "Anything and everything that the book couldn't tell me." Megami answered readily, picking a seat across from Aoi in order to fit the talking position. Aoi's face reddenned, and she began to speak. "A-alright, w-w-here to start?" She was thinking, wondering what to explain that Megami didn't already know. She might as well start with the basics of the dimension. "You read the book, so you know the basics of Kan'na, y-yes?" She asked, eyes flickering anywhere but Megami's face. "Yeah, and...." Megami tilted her head to the side curiously. "Y'know, you don't have to fidget around like that. I honestly don't bite." She put on a smile to emphasize this, relaxing herself in order to made the other female more comfortable. "I-it's not that, it's..." But whatever it was, all it did was make Aoi's face go an even deeper red. She began to look like a purple-haired, bespectacled beet. "N-never mind!" She said, shaking her head. "An-anyway, Kan'na, as you now, is a mirror dimension of ours, but is a literal living Hell. Humans are nearly extinct, Hollows control the world, and the Shinigami just don't even bother to defend the Humans, even though the Balance is in jeopardy. Sonoma, our Dimension, and Kan'na, are seperated by a normally impenetrable Sea of Reason, which provides the home for the Yūreiyushi." She flinched at the sound of the name. Megami nodded, allowing herself to take in the information. "All right, all right...." "Would you like to know about the Yūreiyushi?" "Yes, please." She frowned, and took off her glasses, cleaning them with a cloth seemingly pulled from nowehere. "The Yūreiyushi are dark creatures that inhabit the farthest reaches of the spiritual world. They feed off of a person's happiness until there's nothing left but anger and hate... until you are reduced to something like itself, soulless and evil." She frowned. "Please tell me you aren't intending to go searching for these things?" She sounded worried. Megami slowly shook her head. "No. I'm just being another cautious. I really shouldn't be saying this, but...." She paused for a moment, looking for the right words. "There's someone from the Kan'na dimension that is possibly after one of my family." Aoi's eyes widened. "B-but there'd only be on possible reason for that. A counterpart of one of your family members...they have to want the power of their Sonoma counterpart, or there's no other reason they'd be coming to attack. It's barely possible to escape from Kan'na, unless one can create a Meidō." Megami looked at her gravely. That was a clear indication that Aoi had just spoken what was happening. She spoke no words, for the situation was all too grim and clear for explanation. Though Megami asked for no continued explanation, Aoi, who wanted Megami to live, was now compelled to make sure she was as well-informed as possible, to ensure her survival. "To explain further, a Meidō is a pocket dimension found in the Sea of Reason. If one is able to open the entryway to it, one can ensure safe passge through the Sea of Reason, unnoticed by the Yūreiyushi. Not many people can open it, especially not many in Sonoma, who are content with this universe and would have no desire to leave it and travel to another." Megami smiled weakly. "The ones that are seeking that reason have managed to bypass that difficulty." "There's also...one final thing." Aoi seemed truly nervous about this. "There's no evidence to even confirm that this is true, so you may not have to worry at all, but there is also the matter of...The Monitor." "The...." That was one thing Megami had missed. Her eyes perked up at the statement, widening slightly. "The Monitor? What is that about?" "Umm...legends tell of a being who "oversees" the balance of both Kan'na and Sonoma, to make sure interference between universes is kept at a minimum. I don't really know much, but I do know nothing ever rattles it. It has no emotions at all, and, from what I've heard, is part Yūreiyushi. This entire matter may end up bringing him into the conflict. I wanted you to know..." "But there's no evidence to confirm his existence, right....?" "Nothing to confirm it...." The girl nodded. "But also nothing to deny it..." A sigh escaped Megami. "Well, at least that's one thing that I can be safe from: something with no evidence to back it up." She allowed herself to stand back up, giving Aoi an appreciative nod. "Thanks for once again helping me, Aoi-san." Out of nowhere the girl ran towards Megami and hugged her. She look up at her, metting her eyes for the first time. She looked almost on the verge of tears. "Megami-san, I know you're about to do something dangerous...please do me a favor and don't die. I don't have any friends and I've really taken a liking to you... After you finish with what you're doing, please come have tea with me..." Not surprisingly, Megami was taken back by the sudden display of concern Aoi was showing. Her eyes widened, and she stared for a moment at the girl, blinking a few times. Then, once realization hit her, she put on her smile again. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine...." She assured, returning the hug. The girl smiled, rather shakily and stumbled back to her chair. "I'll be waiting then." She said, picking up a book that was beside her seat. With a nod, Megami took one step and vanished out of the library, leaving the both of them to their own thoughts. The End